Russia urged Israel to reconsider its plans to build more Jewish settlements in East Jerusalem, Russian Foreign Minister said in a statement on its website, RIA Novosti reported.
Direct talks between Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu resumed on September 2 in Washington, after an almost two-year hiatus. However, the talks are on the verge of breaking down over the issue of Israeli construction in the occupied West Bank
Israel announced on October 15 it is planning to build new Jewish settlements in the area of East Jerusalem where Palestinian Arabic community constitutes a majority.
"Moscow urged Israel to reconsider its plans to build settlements," the ministry said. "We consider it is important that the sides would not allow unilateral actions, which prejudge an outcome of the settlement, would exercise restraint, excluding any violence, doing their best to continue direct talks," the ministry added.
"These Israeli Government's plans are perceived with an extreme concern and disappointment in Moscow," it continued. "They contradict international efforts aimed a resumption of direct Israeli-Palestinian negotiations."
Russia should play a more active role in the Israeli-Palestinian peace talks, the Palestinian National Authority's spokesman representative said earlier this month.